Mercantile Bank donates to Upward Bound

Michael Price, chairman and CEO of Mercantile Bank, presents Arnie Smithalexander with a check for Grand Valley's Upward Bound program. At right is Grand Rapids Mayor George Heartwell.

Mercantile Bank presented TRiO Upward Bound programs at Grand Valley and Grand Rapids Community College with checks for $50,000 each during the State of the City address January 26.

Arnie Smithalexander, director of Grand Valley’s Upward Bound program, accepted the check, along with her colleague at GRCC, Raynard Ross.

Grand Valley’s program, which is housed in the College of Education, serves about 100 Grand Rapids Public School students who would be the first in their families to attend college. Upward Bound students meet regularly with advisors, attend workshops on financial aid and participate in cultural and service-learning activities.

The announcement was made during Grand Rapids Mayor George Heartwell's ninth annual State of the City address. Michael Price, chairman and CEO of Mercantile Bank, said the bank “wanted to make a meaningful contribution that would positively impact the work being done to support the education of youth within our community.”